It is also noted that the objectives of creating an integrating effect for convicts and society is essentially lacking due to ineffective systems followed throughout the organization. The parole officers are overloaded with the work and as a result adequate care cannot be extended to each individual (Gayman, & Bradley, 2012)
The current strategy and performance indicators of the organization are evident that the required results are not achieved. The department has to incorporate change not only in the structure but the fundamental procedures of its operations (Regoli, & Hewitt, 2009)
The focus of the system on quantity is primarily creating issues for the administration and parole department. The qualitative aspect of the community integrating initiative should be restored through program (Stroker, 2010)
Given that most offender s will eventually return to the community, a rival goal is reintegration, or the facilitation of an offender's transition from incarceration to freedom. The goals of parole include: 1) serving as a reward for inmates who exhibit good behavior while in prison, 2) contributing to a less violent environment within the walls of the prison by providing an incentive to behave well, thus making it safer for inmates, visitors, staff, and administrators, 3) providing parolees with supervision in the community and access to community-based treatment programs while serving out the remainder of their prison sentence, 4) helping an offender become a law abiding member of the community, 5) protecting the interests and safety of the public by incarcerating the offender and then providing community-based treatment to those who no longer need to be isolated from the community and 6) providing correctional services at a cost less than the cost of incarceration (Carlie, 2002)
The high cost of maintaining prisons as well as a lack of available personnel to staff them made new construction prohibitive and contributed to the popularity of parole. While alleviation of the overcrowding problem is often cited as a secondary goal, the reality is that as a back-end solution, parole is vital to the maintenance of the correctional system (Cengage, 2003)
Recidivism of Those on Parole Probation and Recidivism Recidivism can be referred to as the tendency of offenders getting back to crime after charges have been pressed against them or even while still serving their probation. It is categorized as a new crime that a felony inmate or a probationer commits (Merriam Webster, 2012)
The situation in Nebraska is one such example. In 2007, the Nebraska Community Corrections Council contracted with the Vera Institute of Justice to investigate the possibility and viability of merging the agencies (Daly and Peck, 2007, p
Indeed, one can compare this to the situation in new Jersey, where, as mentioned, a similar concern resulted in denying general probation officers the right to carry a firearm. As in many other cases, budget savings, up to $14 million for 2012, formed a strong argument in favor of Patricks' plan (Greene, 2011)
Some have different types of legislation and rights for parole and probation officers, others have similar legislation and rights, while a third group of states have integrated and streamlined their probation and parole boards. Probation officers, essentially being piece officers, are allowed to carry firearms in 31 states in the country, for example (Morton, n
Two writers note just how many inmates the parole board has to keep track of each year. They write, "Of these, 10,500 inmates were released from Pennsylvania state prisons and the number of inmates leaving Pennsylvania prisons has grown by nearly 15% since 1997" (Beard, and Gnall)
, and Miramar, for example, are offered a wide variety of services, such as education and rehabilitation programs, as well as intensive, crime-specific, cognitive-behavioral modification programs to address substance abuse, violence and sex offenses" (Johnston, 2003). In fact, the military experiences about a 14% recidivism rate, compared with approximately 31% in the public criminal justice system (Burke, 2004, p
1 million adults in jail or prison. Seventy percent of the adult correctional population is under the jurisdiction of probation and parole officers" (Burrell, 2004, p
If they kick their drug habits and gain personal development training while in prison, they show a marked improvement in succeeding at parole. A psychological researcher writes, "If parole readiness means that the individual's Personal Development is more like Typical Individuals than it is like that of Prison Inmates, there is a satisfactory indication of parole readiness" (Cassel, 2003)
C., and Miramar, for example, are offered a wide variety of services, such as education and rehabilitation programs, as well as intensive, crime-specific, cognitive-behavioral modification programs to address substance abuse, violence and sex offenses" (Johnston, 2003)
Privatized prisons often provide better services and conditions for inmates: A prospective study of prison privatization in Alabama concluded that "private construction would create more prisoner bed space faster, thereby relieving overcrowding. Private construction could replace many aging facilities in Alabama with more efficient, state-of-the-art prisons (Ciamarra, 2006)
A 2003 study by the New Mexico-based Rio Grande Foundation showed that New Mexico spent $9,600 less per prisoner in 2001 than did states with no prison privatization programs. The state saved more than $50 million in 2001 over the previous year without prison privatization by contracting out for management of less than half its prison system (La Faive, 2004)
The goals of probation and parole are similar: to prevent crime, offer safety for the victims and community; promote fair justice for both victim and offender, and encourage a shift in ideology away from intolerance to compassion, responsibility, and healthy rehabilitation. Especially in the United States, a country that has the highest percentage of citizens behind bars than any other nation in the world, probation and parole are necessary solutions to high crime rates, recidivism rates, and prison overcrowding (Fauteck)
The extent at which the parolee or probationer is supervised, placed under surveillance, or must report to the officer varies from individual and depends on the prevailing social climate and laws. However, for parole and probation to be fully effective, the level of supervision must be kept at a minimum; otherwise the effectiveness of these programs is called into question (Paparozzi)
Intensive Supervised Probation or ISP is a form of release into the community that spotlights close supervision of convicted offenders and appoints stringent conditions on that release, such as the following: Multiple weekly correspondence with officer, mainly verbal (phone) or in person Random and unannounced drug testing to assure the offender is not under the influence Strict obligation of conditions, for instance, maintaining a job Required attendance in treatment, education programs, volunteer work, etc. (Barker, 2009, p
The definition of parole as stated by Eisenstadt & Moss is: an offender serves a section of their given sentence while under the supervision of either their community or an officer. (Eisenstadt, & Moss, 2005, p